Framed!
An interview with today's ATV frame builders.
by: Mona DeShong
The following took part in this shared interview:
 John Arens |
 Mike Cowan |
 Sheldon Stowell |
 Nate Walsh |
 Dave Gibson |
 John Houser |
 Mark LoScerbo |
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| Full custom made pro-national-level quads like Tim Farr's CRF 450 Laeger chassis cost well over $20,000 to build. Some wealthy beginer riders are buying ATVs like this to compete on. Is this where the sport is going? Do serious ATV racers need to build expensive projects like this to keep up with the competition? |
We all know the story: It takes forever to get your new parts right? So what's
new about that? It's a tough world pal! Well, when one reader sent us an email
whining about a long wait for parts, we went to the manufacturer and asked a
few questions ourselves. In this case it was our own contributor John Arens
of Arens Bros. Inc. John has never been known to mince words in his articles,
often rattling the major factories cage while raising legitimate important issues.
We caught him off guard with this letter and his response was classis Johnny
9 Fingers (As his friends call him) at his best. Why Johnny 9, you ask? He lost
a pinky building a YZF frame prototype for the GNC banquet. (Yes he still went
in the next morning and finished it!) We rolled his response into the rest of
his interview for your reading pleasure! Don't worry, he's usually a pretty
nice guy, Read on, but you might cover the kids eyes.
Manufacturing ATV frames is not an easy task. These guys are putting a lot of
time, money, blood and sweat into all of your parts. And as with anything, problems
can occur. Below is the letter mentioned above from the aggravated Arens Brothers
Inc. frame buyer. The letter below is the point that has brought on the idea
for this piece.
"I ordered a chassis from Arens six months ago. I was told that I would
receive my frame in 8-12 weeks, but still haven't received it. I ended up buying
a Lonestar from Denton Racing today (I couldn't wait any longer). I found Arens
Bros. Racing to be very suspicious. I called Arens at last 20 times in the 6
months I waited for a chasis, and never once did someone pick up the phone.
I left messages, and no body returned my calls. The only information I received
about my chassis was through the aftermarket company I ordered it through (Denton
Racing). I also contacted CT Racing and Upper Muddy Racing, who had Arens frames
on order as well, they gave me almost the exact information that Denton was
giving me. They said that they had a hard time keeping in touch with Arens,
and that Arens was making 100 frames and then releasing all of them at once.
This excuse lasted for only a few months, then it was another excuse. The companies
told me that Arens had told them 'that 100 of the frames had been welded incorrectly,
or that some of the frame rails (support tubes) were incorrect. They basically
said that the frames were messed up and needed to be re-done. The most recent
excuse I heard is that Arens Bros. Racing is a 'one-man' setup, and that is
why it is taking so long. I really don't know what to believe, but I do know
that this is a big problem and it inconvenienced me greatly (as it probably
has others)".
ATV Scene: Could you all please tell us a little about your company, how you ended up in the ATV business, how long you have been involved and exactly what you manufacture?
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My brother and I had been hitting many of the local races in Michigan, reading
the magazines, and generally having fun like most guys in the sport. The magazines
always talked about the national events, and as his skills became pretty good
we decided to try one. (the Columbus, OH TT). After that we hit the national
motocross series pretty hard for quite a few years. Meanwhile, I was going to
Michigan State and working at an engineering firm in East Lansing. As some of
the aftermarket frames began to appear, I found things that I liked, and parts
I disliked. Since I had all the necessary tools to design my own, that's what
we did. We were only going to make three; one for my brother, one for me, and
one for another guy we ride with. However, people began to find out about it,
and pretty soon we were making twelve at a time, then 30, then 40, etc. Kind
of an underground success you might say.
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| John Arens, AKA "Johnny 9 Fingers" has given away one of his frames at each and every GNC banquet. John lost his pinky finger, (as you can see in this shot) while hurrying to build this giveaway frame for the '01 GNC banquet. |
Since we have become most known for our frames, let's start there. The frames
we make are pretty close in geometry to the stock '88-'89 Honda 250R. Although
I wouldn't mind making a few changes, I can't do anything too radical because
I get so many guys trying to bolt on stock parts. Some of the other guys making
frames can build a specialized part for you, but we aren't really set up to
do frames one at a time like that. We have to make every frame the same. It's
the one most guys ask for, and our fixtures won't accept any different parts.
Every time you alter your fixture your screw with your tolerances, and it's
a risk we won't take. We put a HUGE amount of time and money into making perfect,
repeatable fixtures, and one big advantage is that NOBODY has EVER said a stock
part didn't fit. That will never happen. Stock part fit is our benchmark. The
second one is we'll never send out a part we won't keep ourselves. Another big
advantage to us building the same frame is that it helps us keep the price down.
We're usually $700 to $1000 less than the other guys. As for aftermarket parts
fitting, most are of an adequate quality, but there are a few items out there
that are so bad I don't know how anybody without a complete shop even manages
to get them on. We'll be making those parts soon and fixing that problem as
well. By the way, I think everybody is using the same material - 4130 Chromoly.
At least that's what we're using. We also make steering stems, and have a new
design for both our A-Arms and our swing arms. Really great looking parts!
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Lone Star Racing is a fabrication and machine shop specializing in aftermarket ATV components. LSR has been involved for about six years now, based in Phoenix, Arizona. Our facility consists of a fabrication shop, machine shop, casting foundry, powder coat booth, and the sales and engineering offices. With no real show room, business is based on phones sales and distributor participation. Lone Star Racing is one of the largest ATV Chassis and suspension component manufacturers in the industry. We cover the largest variety of parts around. Lone Star is known for being able to produce almost a complete rolling chassis with in its own facility and own production line.
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I started out just as a recreational ATV rider at 15 years old. I started working
on my own ATV's and started understanding how they worked. Before you know it,
I was working on other people's ATV's. By the time I graduated high school I
was buying and selling used ATV's and parts out of my fathers 15x20 garage.
I was working all day and serving a tool and dye apprenticeship at night school.
My girlfriend was taking mail orders during the day and I would box the parts
up after school or work and have them ready for UPS in the morning. If you think
the ATV business must be so great you have another thing coming, plan on working
a lot of long hours. I have moved from my fathers garage, to a house that has
a 6000 square foot building, to a 16,000 square foot building which will hopefully
be my last move.
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| East Coast ATV's Gilbert Attix. |
East Coast ATV employs nine people. We sell used ATV parts as well as new parts. We have a full line of aftermarket parts, engines and suspension components. We are also manufacturing front and rear hydraulic blaster brake kits, carriers, seat latches, Case savers, shock clamps, rotors, and many other items. We have been building a lot of race ATV's and restoring ATV's which can be seen on our website. www.eastcoastatv.com. But it has been hard building these race ATV's when you can't get parts when you need them. Most of our ATV's have been built using Walsh Race Craft or Roll Design products. We plan to continue using these products but we have been building some of our own chassis parts such as frames, long travel a-arms, swingarms, and steering stems using the GIBSON name.
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HSD Racing (High Speed Dirt) sells everything a racer could want, but we specialize
in suspension. I've been racing quads since 1986, started designing quads in
the early 1990s.
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| HSD's Independant Rear Suspension. Look for a detailed conversation with HSD's Mark LoScerbo and his unique products in the near future. |
What really thrust me into the ATV business was the purchase of Strong Arm Racing Products a year ago. We build Strong Arm a-arms for most quads. We can build 250R and 400EX swingarms however we are concentrating our efforts on a-arms, new long travel front end kits, IRS frames, IRS kits, and a race ready IRS quad.
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Houser Products, LLC has been making ATV aftermarket parts for about four years. My son Jeff was interested in racing ATVs so we bought a Honda 250X and went racing. We soon realized that it was going to take a few aftermarket parts to become competitive. After deciding to make our purchases, we got shocked, twice actually! The first shock was how long it was going to take to get the parts; 4-6 months for shocks, 4-6 months for A-Arms! The second shock was after we got the A-arms. They didn't fit! We had to use pry bars, a lot of force and a BIG hammer to get the A-arms on the quad. Quite frankly, the A-arms didn't match the stock frame or each other when laid back to back. The steel sleeves were shorter than the A-Arm bearings so that after assembly the bolts could not be tightened or the A-arms would not move up & down. The guy helping us, who had been in racing since the three wheelers days, said, "It's always like this!" I thought to my self, not any longer. Since I am a registered engineer who owns an engineering firm, John Houser & Associates, we had the capabilities to design products that work. We started designing products using AUTOCAD. Every part is drawn on the computer. We use CNC equipment to fabricate the parts and the fixtures.
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| Houser's YZ426 or CRF450 Frame & Sub Frame retail for $2450. |
Every year we are getting bigger and better. Our regular A-arms use plated
automotive tie rod ends for ball joints. The set includes chrome plated tie
rods and features adjustable camber. You can get the top A-Arm chromed as an
option. Use stock length shocks,or long travel A-arms. These A-arms use a Houser
designed and built ball joint. These ball joints are more rugged than the standard
tie rod end ball joint. They also provide for 30% more travel, which will allow
the A-arms to provide more wheel travel. These are made to be used with 19.25"
shocks, for motocross and with 16.25" shocks for cross country. The bottom
ball joint is completely sealed. These are very "stylish" looking
and work better than they look! PEP, Custom Axis & Elka have made shocks
that work with these. You can get the top A-arm chromed as an option and a TT
tab added for sway bars. We also crated our own steering stems and clamps. Along
with our own isolation style steering stem that has worked quite well. The 400EX
stem is now a heavy-duty stem. The steering stem clamp is CNC. Our swing arms
are a unique disign. The cross section provides twice the strength of the 1"
by 2" rectangle tube design used by most manufacturers. It comes with skid
plate mounts and an mx chain guide holder. Our WristRester is a device that
bolts on and replaces the steering stem clamp. The WristRester allows the steering
stem to move back and forth about 5/8". This motion is controlled by a
spring and a shock absorber. This product soaks up the hits and bumps and saves
your wrists from the impact. Lastly we build frames for the Yamaha YZ426, the
new Honda CRF450R and plan to include the Honda 250R this year as well.
Visit us at: houser-racing.com
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Walsh Race Craft was started because of our love of ATV racing. Plus the opportunity
to remain in the sport and be a major factor in the world of custom ATV production,
helped the decision as well. We are located in Preston, CT. We have been dabbling
in the field since 1994. In October 1997 we became a legal business. It has
shown a constant steady growth throughout the years.
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| Shane Hitt relies on WRC components. |
We currently employ four full time and, three part time employees. We've gone through three different locations over the years. Within five years we plan on constructing a rather large facility to keep up with the high demand of our top of the line race products. We have no plan on ever lowering the quality of our products, however we do plan on always being on the top of ATV product production and constantly improving our frames, sub-frames, A-arms, swing-arms, steering stems, clamp kits, tie-rods, break adapter plates, gas tanks, miscellaneous billet parts and chromoly weldments.
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MC Products was founded as a result of my personal interest in riding ATV's
at the dunes, here in Oregon. I have spent the last 25 years in the aluminum
manufacturing business and realized the opportunity for producing an aftermarket
aluminum ATV frame. We have been building and testing prototypes of the 250R
frame for the past several months with very good results. The need for a faster
motor for testing led me to LRD, where Arlan Lehman built us a 350 powervalve
motor. During one of my visits, I had a chance to meet Arlan, the president
and founder of LRD, and we just hit it off. Over the course of a few conversations
and a few rides getting to know each other, we identified an opportunity to
join the efforts of both companies. (LRD and MC Products were joined earlier
this year). We now share a common desire to become a stronger, more balanced
company with greatly improved efficiencies resulting from combined efforts in
R&D, prototyping, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, sales, marketing,
racing, etc. Our goals are simple; we want to build better products for ATV
enthusiasts and work diligently at having the right inventory available to our
customers when they need them.
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| Currently the lightest aftermarket frame on the market is LRD's aluminum frame called Attitude. |
LRD and MC Products manufacture Exhaust Pipes, Silencers, Engine Improvement
Kits, and now Aluminum ATV Frames all of which are sold under the LRD brand
name. LRD brings over twenty years of off-road motor sports and ATV expertise
to the table, while MC products provides expertise in efficient and effective
design, prototyping, quality control, manufacturing and sourcing. We will add
new products each year via a controlled process and environment to ensure performance,
quality, and on-time delivery. To supply our focused chain of ATV retailer,
products will be manufactured internally as well as with outside suppliers with
proven track records. This internal and external flexibility will enable us
to improve our designs, react quickly to new market trends, ensure customer
value, and provide on time delivery.
ATV Scene: Approximately how long does it take
to manufacture a frame from raw materials to the customer's door?
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From our perspective that's a little difficult to answer for two reasons. The first reason is that we never make just one of anything. If I am going to go through all of the trouble designing one part and figuring out how to make it more efficiently, we might as well build a bunch of them. The second reason I am reluctant to say is because the time for just one frame would reflect on the purchase price, but that is not strictly limited to material and fabricating costs of just one frame. Remember, we put a HUGE amount of time and money into just designing and building the fixtures, as well as figuring out how to make everything else work on the project. Material and welding costs are only a part of the investment. I am very reluctant to say how much time there is in one part, but I will tell you that we are doing it MUCH more efficiently than all of the other guys based on the numbers they have claimed in the past. Many times faster in fact.
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| Arens rider Andrew Smith. |
To the guy that wrote the letter you just showed me, I answer with the following:
You say you don't like a long wait for our products, and I do agree with you
on this. We did have a long wait for some of the guys on the list this time,
and it wasn't CT's or Denton's fault, but it was my choice. It has been longer
than I expected , (as I'll tell you about) but it still is a whole lot better
than 16 months from the other guys. By the way, NOBODY has ever called me and
said that stock part didn't fit. I know the frame you just bought can't claim
that. Some of the frame makers out there have been making the same mistakes
for 10 years. I refuse to make those mistakes. Every step has to be perfect,
as well as our fixtures. The reason we win shootouts and build frames that go
6000+ miles in the desert without breaking is because I am EXTREMELY careful
about every detail in how we build them, and I won't accept parts that are less
than perfect from the guys I work with. Remember, I am also the ONLY frame builder
with any engineering background, which is another reason I am able to design
and build high quality parts. In fact, we are the ONLY ATV aftermarket company
that produces parts for any of the factories, and the reason is our design and
quality is unsurpassed. Cannondale is known for producing perfect parts, and
we supply parts for their ATV's as well. Actually they tested parts from all
of the other guys, (including the frame you just bought from Lonestar / Denton)
and EVERY other company's parts failed when ours passed. I don't boast about
our stuff or even advertise much because I'm generally not one to push my stuff
on anybody. Hell, I don't even take deposits on our frames. You can change your
mind at the last second, and it still costs you nothing. I didn't want to have
a riders money if he needs it or wants something else. If a guy wants something
else, go ahead, it's his cash. Try that with the other guys! I want to keep
the price down for the riders just so they could afford to keep going to the
races. The reduced price is another advantage of building them 100 at a time.
As for your phone calls, you may have called several times, but unfortunately
everyone has an answering machine these days, including me. I actually hate
that part as well, but it is a fact of life in nearly every company large and
small, especially manufacturing companies. I have to assume however that any
of our customers with the ability to sit on an ATV unassisted or unrestrained
without toppling over and plunging face first into the dirt are also familiar
with the operation of a voice mail system. That is if they choose to use one.
IF you had left 20 messages you would have been called back 20 times. I assume
your situation is the latter and you simply chose not to use our system. You
will no doubt forgive the fact that often times we do have machinery running
and I cannot even hear the phone, which is one of the reasons I am forced to
rely on such a system.
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Most of the times we have two or three main chassis builders and one or two finish welders on hand. The first crew tacks the chassis together in the jig and the second crew does all the finish welding. When all is well we can build four to five chassis a week. I would have to say if one man were building all the parts by himself it would take four to five days for just one frame.
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| Keith Little rode to a respectable 6th place at this year's GNC opener on his Lone Star framed K&K 250R. |
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It takes us roughly two to three weeks to build a complete chassis from start to finish. But we have had to make so many changes as we go along to improve our product that I can't put an exact time on how long it takes. It's been very hard and very stressful. We have wasted tons of material and time but things are starting to smooth out.
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| East Coast ATV's Chris Borich |
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You can tell by this question how misunderstood the process is. The process actually is as follows: design material procurement, initial fixtures prototyping, testing, redesign, final fixtures, production, painting, packaging, and shipping. The frame process is the same as for any of the other products, except it is about four times the size and expense. It takes four times of everything; design, fixtures, individual parts, time to make, etc. If you knew that you were going to mass produce and sell frames, it would not be a problem. The problem is that most of the frame builders do not mass produce frames. They are built and supplied one-at-a- time. After you have a product that is ready to be sold on the open market, the build process should take 4-8 weeks.
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During the off season it takes about two weeks.
During the race season about three and a half weeks.
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The production of a frame or pipe should take 60 to 90 days for a standard
item. In the past, I have manufactured everything from very complex extrusions
for the aircraft and freight industries; to the aluminum frames for the Harley
Davidson VR 1000; to lightweight bicycles for Specialized, Trek, Schwinn, Santa
Cruz and many others. The processes to produce high quality ATV products are
very similar. We just have to be diligent and continually check to make sure
that our products are right for the market place.
ATV Scene: Why does it take so long to get a frame?
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We did have a longer wait than I liked this time, and it was my choice, but
it's still a whole lot better than 16 months like some of the other guys. Building
frames is a lot more complicated than bending a few tubes and welding them together.
There are 152 parts in each of our frames, and that does NOT include the steps
required to cut, form, notch, and weld them. Just think of how you would even
unload or handle 2 miles of tubing. What wall thickness? MIL Spec or ASTM Spec?
How would you rough cut it? How would you bend it? What radius? Bend? Finish
cut? Surface treatment? How do you cut each bracket? Form it? Etc. Now multiply
that by 152 parts, 100 at a time. We even had to make special boxes and get
a larger powder coat operation for that many! Every step has to be perfect.
The reason we build frames that have gone 6000+ miles in the desert without
failing is because we are EXTREMELY careful about every detail in how we build
them, and I won't accept parts that are less than perfect from the guys I work
with. This time I did have a major delay caused by tubing being bent incorrectly.
Basically I scrapped out 1800' of Chromoly tubing that my bending people did
wrong. I really hated to do that, but I didn't want ANY customers to have a
part that wasn't as perfect as I could possibly make it. That's a very expensive
mistake followed by an equally expensive fix, and I'm not convinced some of
the other guys would have taken that step. I constantly work to upgrade each
run we build, and it shows. We also invested another $100,000 in new tools for
this run of frames, and we are just now getting that new equipment up to speed.
This is a very serious business we are in, and we are extremely good at it,
and I intend to keep it that way.
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We can definitely get behind. The biggest cause is lack of parts. If our machine
shop or laser cutter gets backed up it throws off the whole process. Also you
can't anticipate any warranties or custom projects that may arise. We try and
give the best-quoted build time we can but it isn't always right on the mark.
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If the frame is a ready-for-market-product, it shouldn't take too long, but it always will because the process is not set up for mass production. It would take the same amount of time to produce any our products, frames, A-arms, swing arms, etc. The difference is that all of the other products are mass produced, which means that all or most of the product is made prior to the order. If frames were the same way, the consumer would say, it only takes Houser two weeks to make a frame! Actually the frame would have already been 80% complete when the order is taken. We are not different from other manufacturers. For example, if you order an in stock bearing you get it in a few days, but if you want a non stock/special bearing, like we use on our long travel A-arms, it takes 8-12 weeks!
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Sometimes a first time motor or other major options like linkage set ups hold up things because of new jigs, templates and blue print delays. Sometimes we get behind because we get busy with other things like personal ATV projects. And to be honest sometimes we just don't feel like doing anything because we have had a rough night.
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We might experience longer lead times for a new product that we are producing
for the first time, or when we under forecast the sales of a given product.
Retailers' willingness to share in forecasting their product needs, will assist
us greatly in ensuring on-time delivery and keeping product lead times in order.
Understanding retailers needs will allow us to forecast our own requirements
for raw materials and enable us to keep an adequate inventory on hand to meet
demand. The relationship with our retailers is exceedingly important and we
hope to build and enhance that relationship overtime.
ATV Scene: What do you think of the new production class rumor for 2003? And how do you feel about the the new frame rule?
For those not aware of the proposed changes in store for the 2003 GNC race season, here is a quickie: The recomondation to add a new four-stroke production class is seriously being considered. One of the rules proposed for the new class is that the frame on the machine must be from the manufacturer or OEM, no substitutions or aftermarket frames would be allowed in the new class, which would be an addition to all the existing classes already on the schedule.
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Actually I am an ATV Congressman from Michigan, and I voted for it. I think
it's a great way to offer competitive racing at a reasonable cost.
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I think the new rules are going to slow down chassis sales but not kill them. We build all of our chassis OEM compatible so we target not only the pro racer but every ATV enthusiast that is tired of braking stock frames or is simply just looking for a better ride.
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Back in the day, all we ran was rear tires, cut fenders and some numbers and
we were happy. Now days you would be laughed at for that kind of set-up. I really
like the new class, it will help ATV racing in general and we'll help to promote
it by donating prizes like a-arm kits to winners in the class. (Editor's
note: Mark is refering to a sponsorship position he has taken with Fast-Trak
Promo for Fast-Trak's '02 Amateur Production Class at the Ft Dodge, IA and Bardstown,
KY GNC TT events).
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| Thomas Barrett races this specially preped HSD 400EX in the new Pro Production class at the GNCCs. HSD's LoScerbo says he likes the idea of the new production classes and thinks it wont hinder aftermarket metal shops one bit. |
As a frame builder and future OEM ATV manufacturer my concern is what criteria
they'll use to decide who qualifies as an OEM manufacturer. Example- How many
IRS (Independant Rear Suspension) quads would we need to build in order to be
considered 'production' eg. 100? 1000? (Editor's
note: look for a seperate interiview with Mark about his "IRS"
and more in the near future).
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To answer your question about the new frame rules I think it is OK, but I know
the frames will not hold up to the abuse of a pro rider. I see what our pro
rider does to an ATV in a year, he would totally trash a stock frame.
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First is this rule being considered? Who initiated it? Is it coming from one
or two sources that stand to benefit the most from it? Many of the improvements
in these OEM products have come from aftermarket creativity. Can't the OEM's
build a product that wins? It sounds like maybe they can only competitively
compete if the worthy competitors are eliminated. Would that be like using all
of the second string football players so that the score would be close? If using
OEM chassis seems like a great idea, why aren't the pros racing the utility
class on the GNCC circuit?
If this proposed rule becomes true, I would like to be at the first race when
the top three pros accept their well deserved trophies and the novice racer
riding a non OEM frame asks his dad, "How come my lap times were faster
than these guys and they are getting all of the attention?" Many of the
existing OEM frames presently can not get by with a half season of aggressive
riding without breaking. Will the rule allow them to be welded at the track?
"Hey it's no longer OEM!" Can it be reinforced at the weak points
before it is used? Can I move the rear shock location a little? "Hang on
fellows, I think maybe increased tech inspects & protests are on the way."
What if an OEM sponsored factory team realizes that their stock OEM frame would
work better if the rear shock location is changed? Will it be legal for the
factory team to change their OEM frame, but not for the guy who bought and is
racing the same ATV? (Editor's note: John might
be under the impression that the new production classes would replace the current
classes. The proposal is to ADD these classes to the existing schedule. The
stock frame's shock locations and other details would need to be identical to
stock. A simple protest would eliminate those riders rearranging the OEM's stock
frame geometry. Riders would be allowed to weld reinforcement tabs and repair
cracks in their OEM frames. These reinforcement tabs might be a hot aftermarket
product made available from fine compenies like Houser Products.)
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I think it's pretty cool actually. It wont effect WRC in any way, but I do believe that the Pro Class should remain the elite class and that they should utilize the most elite products available whether aftermarket or factory.
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| Walsh Race Craft's Michael Walsh. |
You don't want the average person to be able to go down to the dealer and pick-up the same thing a professional uses. Plus the pro class guys should be allowed to fully display their talent on machines that are capable of this. We think the pro class should be put on a pedestal. In other words, the average dude down the street can't go buy a 2002 Monte Carlo and qualify for the Daytona 500. The same aplies in ATV racing.
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This Pro Production Class has the potential to be a negative for the ATV industry, which over the years has been supported primarily by committed retailers, aftermarket suppliers, and creative industry mainstays like Arlan Lehman of LRD and all of his respected competitors and fellow innovators. The class will likely limit itself in popularity and it will probably not replace Pro Modified as the most prestigious class. The best riders simply will be unable to afford to ride in it due to limited sponsorship opportunities. Aftermarket frame and component manufacturers are very important sponsors of both top riders and up-and-comers.
Ultimately, this will hinge on the level of factory support that the Big Four are willing to provide. Cannondale will likely get behind the Pro Production Class and perhaps companies like Bombardier. But ultimately, I just do not see a limited number OEMs replacing all of the aftermarket sponsorship dollars that are currently put forth by a multitude of aftermarket entities and retailers. I do, however, hope that Pro Production becomes a successful development class for the intermediate racers and aspiring pros. It is important to make sure that there is an entry-level class, which requires a stock chassis to get started as opposed to a $15,000 custom quad. If this is the desired intention of the Pro Production class than it could very well be a success.
The thing I hope the AMA and supporters of the Pro Production class remember is that the aftermarket suppliers are a critical part of what drives and supports ATV racing. Anything that interferes with our ability to market and sell products will be very damaging to the sport. If the aftermarket cannot market products developed via racing, then they will ultimately have no money to put back into the sport.
It has been proven again and again that aftermarket companies create a lot
of excitement and sales for new motorcycles and ATVs launched by the Big Four.
The innovation provided by small companies supports new aftermarket sales, gets
repeat consumers into the shops, and stimulates innovative ideas that creates
industry growth. We all must work together to grow our sport as opposed to developing
programs that help one segment of the ATV industry at the expense of another.
ATV Scene: With this in mind do you plan on continuing to produce frames and how much of a burden (if any) do you think it might be? And, is the profit margin really worth the hassle? If not, why continue?
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Absolutely! We certainly will continue to build them, and at the same time
we will expand our other part lines as well. People still need aftermarket 250R
frames, and we intend to build them. Also, since the 400EX frames are not quite
as durable as a Wal-Mart swing set most six year olds thrash on, I have been
considering building a 400 EX aftermarket frame, as well as a frame that would
accept the new CR 450 Honda motor. Lets test the interest out there! Email me
at jarens@voyager.net and we'll see
how many riders are interested in an aftermarket 400EX frame! Actually I think
we build more frames than anybody else, and I don't see that changing. We'll
continue to build frames, stems, a-arms, swing-arms and all the stuff we do
now. Just more of it! In the past year we've made some huge investments in picking
up the pace, we've got several new part designs in testing right now, and we
are definitely going to be introducing some new parts that we haven't offered
before. These are parts the market badly needs a better source for. I really
feel bad for the guy who buys a part expecting it to fit correctly and work
well, only to get a crappy part from a half-assed company. That doesn't help
the sport! There are some pretty poor products on the market right now that
haven't changed or been improved upon for years simply because the company making
them are either stupid, careless, or more likely both. Some of those guys remind
me of a line from ANIMAL HOUSE, "Fat, drunk, and stupid - no way to go
through life son!" We'll offer a much better product. One you don't need
an entire machine shop just to put on your quad!
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I think with the system we have down, and at the speed we can build these frames our profit margins are definitely worth the hassle. The Honda 250R is our biggest seller and those frame are no longer available from Honda, so those customers really have no other choice but to buy aftermarket. We will still be building frames for years to come.
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Is the profit margin really worth the time and hassle? Not really but it gives
us another alternative to offer our customers when we can't get other parts
when we need them.
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We have been struggling with this decision all year. We need to get out of it or to take it serious and set up to mass produce frames. We had decided on the latter! We are going to produce frames like our other products. We hope to have them stocked and readily available. The above OEM chassis rule affects our business tremendously. After we set up and do this, will there still be a market? When you are making frames one at a time, it is not worth the time. It is an ego thing with most builders. Everyone would like to build frames and see them in the magazines winning races. The consumers are fortunate that most frame builders own their own companies and choose to do this. There is no way that they would go to a board of directors and say that they wanted resource money to start frame business while explaining how it was going to affect the business. The board would ask, let's see if I have this right, you want to use four times the money and four times the man power so that you can generate ¼ of the sales dollars that you have from any of our other products? Like I said, it's an ego trip.
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Yes of course we will continue. It will not be a burden at all. It will be better in our eyes because we will only have to provide components for the average racer instead of complete ATVs. We do it out of love for the sport, but at the same time we are out to be the best in the business. We are a metal shop on a mission!
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We see a legitimate demand for all of our products and frames - now and in the future. The Big Four do a wonderful job of developing exciting products that are affordable to a broad range of people. However, there are always consumers that need and demand features and performance that are not available in a stock ATV. This is the essence of the LRD customer. We are as passionate about the sport as our customers are and we look to provide products that allow them to enhance the performance, ride, and excitement of their ATVs. Our customers will support us and we will be there for them as they have been there for us in the past.
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photo by: Mike Nichols Two-time GNCC champ, Bill Ballance absolutely loves his feather-weight LRD Attitude frame. Bill won the very first time he tried out the frame at a GNCC national. |
"History" would be my one word to describe the commitment and passion for the mainstay ATV enthusiasts. They have persevered and built a sport in spite of many obstacles, and throughout they have supported the small and innovative suppliers to grow and even prosper.
Any company out there likes and needs profits to survive and grow. They are vital for ourselves and for our retailers if we are to continue to develop new products, sponsor events and riders, and stay in business. At the same time, we must make sure that we deliver products to retailers and ATV enthusiast that create real value. For the folks at LRD the design, manufacturing and sales of these new aluminum frames (and all of our products for that matter) is not seen as a waste of time or hassle. It is a labor of love. It is what we do and it allows us to pass on the joy and fun that we find in ATV riding and racing to our customers.
